


This Love Came Back To Me

by rboudreau



Series: This Love [1]
Category: Big Brother RPF
Genre: January 16th, M/M, Reunions, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-09 00:28:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3229337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rboudreau/pseuds/rboudreau
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starting with Zach at Queen Of The Nights and leading to him surprising Frankie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Love Came Back To Me

“Okay but it’s like….okay, this lobster is Frankie, right?” He picks up one of the shell crackers off the table and puts one of the lobster claws in between the handles. “So say this claw is his heart, and I’m the shell cracker.” He squeezes the handles together, effectively cracking open the shell and revealing the red meat inside. “I’m literally the biggest asshole on the planet.”

Lauren tried not to laugh at Zach’s dramatics and sighed sympathetically. “Zach, he’s not mad at you. He wouldn’t have tweeted you earlier if he didn’t want to talk to you.”

“But that was just a stupid tweet! He completely ignored my isotope tweet. It took me like 20 minutes to come up with that!” He pulled the meat out of the shell, stuck it on his fork and dabbed it in butter, then shoved it in his mouth grumpily.

Lauren put her hand on his forearm. “I don’t think he saw it. And if he did, he probably wasn’t sure what it meant. He’s really confused right now. He was a mess last night and this morning because of Michael and Ian. He barely slept at all, and then he had to go put on a show like nothing was wrong. But it’s not _you_ he’s mad at. You guys just need to talk.”

Zach sat quietly for a couple minutes, alternating between eating more of his lobster and watching the show they were at. Eventually, he turned to Lauren and raised his eyebrow. “Why are you trying to help me? You’re _Frankie’s_ friend. And I know you haven’t exactly been my biggest fan for the last month. So what’s the deal?”

“You’re right, I haven’t been your biggest fan lately. I don’t appreciate it when guys will hook up with my best friend behind closed doors and then go running when he thinks you can finally go public. You’ve been sending him mixed signals since the day you met.” Zach frowned, wanting to argue but knowing she was right. She continued talking, ignoring the look on his face. “ _But_...I saw your tweet this morning, and I knew that you tweeted it because of Frankie calling you out on Twitter. I know you love him, Zach.”

Zach pushed some shell pieces around his plate with his fork. “Yea. I do. I really do.”

She smiled. “Good. I wouldn’t be helping if I didn’t believe you. Look, he tweeted about you this morning because whatever relationship you two have confuses him. You do this yo-yo trick with your feelings, and he doesn’t know what to do. He’s tried to move on since you got in that fight last month.” Zach clenched his jaw, not wanting to hear that. “I’m telling you that so you’ll get your shit together. Last night, that was his breaking point. He’s done with the games, Zach. So you need to fix it before he moves on for good.”

He ran a hand through his hair, tugging on it a little. “If he’s already done, then how is anything I say or do going to change his mind?”

“Because this is your last chance, Zach. He didn’t have to call you out on Twitter for confusing him last night if he was already over you. That was him giving you one more chance to prove that you want to be with him. But you need to make your move fast. He’s not going to wait around forever, and he shouldn’t have to. If you don’t do anything, he’ll move on, and whatever you had is done. So if you want him, you’ve got to take the chance now. Stop being scared of what everyone else will think. What do _you_ want?”

He rubbed his face tiredly. “I...I want Frankie.”

She grinned, patting him on the back. “Good answer. Now, hurry up and eat Frankie the lobster and we’ll try to get to the theatre before he leaves.”

Zach got a nervous look on his face. “Won’t fans be, like, lined up outside?”

“Do you want to win Frankie back?” she asked in return.

“Obviously, but--”

“Then it shouldn’t matter how many fans are going to be there.” He didn’t argue. He knew he needed to step up here, or he’d lose Frankie for good. And if Frankie liked anything, it was big romantic gestures like this.

**

“Are you sure he’s not going to, like, punch me in the face for showing up?” Zach asked as Doug led him, Lauren, and AJ into the theatre through the side door.

Doug scoffed. “Maybe if he hadn’t been bringing you up all day and still finding ways to talk about how great you are together.”

Zach blushed, but it gave him a bit more confidence that this would go well. They got to a doorway and Lauren stopped him.

“You wait here, okay? I’m gonna go in and get him, we’ll walk out this way, and you can jump in and surprise him.” She hugged him quickly. “Remember, just be honest with him. He needs honesty.” He nodded, and then she and Doug disappeared through the theatre. 

Zach ran his hand through his hair. “Bro, I’m so nervous.”

“It’ll be fine,” AJ said. “He loves you. He’s going to be so happy that you’re here.”

Zach nodded, rolling his neck to relieve some nervous tension. He looked up at AJ. “You’re cool with this, though? Like, you’re not going to kick me out for….y’know, having a _boyfriend?_ ”

AJ gave him a look. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t even ask that. Idiot.” 

He let out a laugh. “Can you, like, record this? For the vlog?”

“You’re sure you want it in there? The fans might take it and run with it, you know?”

Zach shrugged. “If I’m doing this, I’m doing it all the way. Frankie likes the whole grand gesture thing, so...can’t think of anything much bigger than surprising him and letting the fans in on it.”

AJ chuckled. “More like _Grande_ gesture.” Zach rolled his eyes and shoved him, making him go stand across the room from where Zach was hiding in a doorway. 

A minute later, he heard Lauren’s voice carrying down the hall, followed by Frankie’s voice. His stomach filled with butterflies, and he nodded over to AJ to start recording on his phone. He peaked around the corner, seeing Lauren and Frankie almost at the other doorway. Frankie was looking back at Lauren as they walked, and Zach took his opportunity to jump out from his hiding spot, landing in front of Frankie, who whipped his head around in surprise. Frankie froze for a second, his mouth hung open wide in shock, and then Zach was reaching forward to pull him into a hug.

“ _Oh my God_ ,” Frankie said, his arms wrapping around Zach’s waist. “You’re _here_.” 

Zach giggled, holding him tightly. “What’s up?”

Lauren smiled brightly and walked around them, making sure to say “He named his lobster after you,” loudly so Frankie could hear. Zach laughed again.

“Oh my god, you do not stop,” he joked, but she was already halfway out the door. Frankie buried his forehead against Zach’s neck, whining softly. He twisted their bodies so he could see AJ, nodding at him to leave them by themselves.

As soon as AJ disappeared through the same door Lauren had left through, Zach squeezed Frankie tighter to him and listened as Frankie kept letting out little whines.

“You’re here,” Frankie repeated, his voice cracking. Zach swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat.

“Seemed like you needed me.”

Frankie tightened his arms around his waist. “I’ll take a pity visit. I don’t care. This day has been terrible and I just really need one of your hugs.”

Zach frowned, turning his head into Frankie’s neck. “It’s not a pity visit. I fucking _missed_ you, Frankie. And I want to beat the shit out of that troll looking douchebag for whatever he did to hurt you. You deserve so much better than that.” He closed his eyes tightly and breathed in Frankie’s skin. “You deserve better than me, too.”

Frankie nuzzled into Zach’s neck one more time before pulling back to look at him. Zach could see how his eyes weren’t as bright as usual, having lost some of their usual shine, and it reminded Zach of back in the house when Frankie’s grandfather had passed away. Once again, Zach felt the need to hunt down whatever the fuck his name was--Miguel or something like that--and punch him right in the face for making Frankie look like this.

Then again, he also wanted to punch himself in the face. If he had just jumped in head first like Frankie wanted after their Dirty Pop interview, none of this would have happened. Frankie never would have been looking for other guys to be with and Zach probably would’ve moved to New York even sooner. But instead, he’d chickened out and told Frankie he wasn’t ready for everyone to know, and Frankie apparently hadn’t been expecting that and broke things off between them. They didn’t speak for almost two weeks, and when they finally had, they’d agreed to cool things off between them and that Frankie would try to move on and Zach wouldn’t go on the trip to Africa at the end of January. Zach hadn’t really wanted to agree to any of it, if he was honest, but it was either agree to Frankie’s terms or risk being cut out of his life for good. 

Frankie gave him a helpless look that made Zach feel like his heart was going to break. “I really didn’t think….I thought you were just going to ignore my tweets this morning and that it wasn’t going to change anything.”

Zach shrugged a little, keeping his arms around Frankie’s shoulders. “I thought you’d learned by now to expect the unexpected.”

Frankie dropped his jaw a little and pushed Zach away playfully. “ _Jerk_ ,” he laughed. Zach tugged him closer, leaning down to rest his head on Frankie’s shoulder. Frankie reached his hand up, rubbing Zach’s ear soothingly. “Why are you here, Zach?” he said quietly, his thumb rubbing against the smooth skin of Zach’s earlobe.

Zach breathed in deeply, attempting to settle the butterflies that came rushing back into his stomach. He had to be honest with Frankie. He couldn’t keep messing with him. “I thought I was going to lose you,” he admitted. 

Frankie took a moment. “You were going to lose me.”

Hearing Frankie say it scared the shit out of Zach, and he clenched his hands in Frankie’s jacket at his waist. “I know,” he croaked. “I know I was. And when I woke up this morning and saw your tweets, I knew you were ready to let me go if I didn’t get my shit together. Shit, Frankie, I never wanted to confuse you or...or make your life hell, or any of that. I fucking _love_ you. I can’t...I don’t want to lose you.”

Frankie slid his hand into Zach’s hair, pulling it a little absentmindedly. “Zach.” Zach looked up at him, their faces barely a few inches apart. “This has been a really hard day for me. I’m fucking _exhausted_ , both physically and emotionally. So if this is just about losing me as a friend, I need you to tell me, because I really can’t do the whole back and forth thing anymore. I _can’t_.”

“I know.” He leaned his forehead against Frankie’s, watching as Frankie’s eyes slid closed. “It’s not about losing you as a friend. I mean, it’s that too, because you really are my best friend, and I don’t want to lose that. But it’s more than that. It’s always been more than that. And I know that. I’ve just been confused about myself, and I guess I made you feel that way too. I’m sorry, I really am. Fuck, I want to be with you so much. Being in Florida without you was hell.”

Frankie sniffled a little and opened his eyes to stare Zach in the eyes. “You really moved all the way up here? You’re gonna be here?”

“I’ll be here,” he promised. “I might freeze to death along the way, but…” Frankie giggled a little and lunged himself back into Zach’s arms, hugging him tightly. “You’re so fucking important to me, Frankie. I swear, I love you. I’m in love with you. What we have is so special, and I wouldn’t change anything, I--”

Frankie cut him off, lifting his head off Zach’s shoulder and pulling him into a kiss. Zach paused for a half a second before kissing him back, sliding his hand up to cup Frankie’s face. It wasn’t their first kiss, or even their second or third. But it felt different this time. Maybe it was because they hadn’t kissed since the last time they saw each other two months before and so much had happened since then. Zach didn’t really care. He just knew he had to make sure Frankie never regretted giving him another chance. He put his all into the kiss, holding Frankie as close as possible and licking into his mouth. Frankie whined against his mouth, squeezing his hips hard.

It was maybe a minute or two later that Frankie’s security guard cleared his throat from the doorway, telling Frankie he had to finish up and come greet the fans outside.

Frankie breathed heavily, resting his forehead against Zach’s temple. “So here’s what’s gonna happen,” he whispered. “You’re going to come outside with me while I take pictures with fans. After I’m all done, we’re going back to my apartment, and I’m going to fuck you, and you’re going to fuck me, and then we’re going to sleep. Tomorrow, we’re going to talk about everything before I have to come back here for my double, and we’re going to finally figure out where we stand. Okay?”

Zach nodded, sliding his hand up Frankie’s back between his jacket and his backpack. “But just so we’re clear, I stand on whatever side lets me be with you for as long as possible.”

Frankie can’t stop himself from smiling and kissed him once more, much softer than their last kiss had been. “I love you. I’m so glad you’re here. I love you,” he repeated.

Zach pressed a final kiss against his lips, smiling back at him. “I love you too. I promise. I’m not running away from this anymore. I want this. I want you.”

Frankie bit his lip, containing his smile. He grabbed Zach’s hand and started tugging him towards the side door. He wasn’t sure yet if this time would be different with Zach, but he really hoped it would be. This was the first thing to make him honestly happy all day. The Zach he’d been with in the past probably wouldn’t have surprised him at the end of a show or been willing to exit the building and stay with him with so many fans around or have moved to New York in the first place. He just felt _something_ about their relationship that had always convinced him that Zach could be the one he spends the rest of his life with, and that’s a feeling he’d never had with boyfriends in the past.

They’d made their way outside to the fans and Zach had started to walk off away from him, and he’d had a slight moment of panic, thinking Zach was just going to leave after all that.

“Zach, where are you going?” he called. Zach turned his head around to face Frankie. “Zach, come back here.” He was relieved when Zach immediately came to his side, putting a comforting hand on his back.

“Sorry,” Zach said into his ear. “Didn’t want to get in your way.”

Frankie grinned. “You’re stuck with me now. Start signing things and taking pictures.”

Zach rolled his eyes playfully and started signing things that fans were handing him. He was a little overwhelmed at how many Zankie fans there seemed to be here, but he found that it made him feel even better. He didn’t have to avoid Frankie, and there were times while they were making their way through everyone that the fans just let them stand there and talk and take selfies on their phones and they didn’t bother them at all. Zach kept his arm around Frankie for longer than he normally would have, not wanting to be too far away from him after their kiss in the theatre. Frankie kept smiling at him every time he adjusted his arm to fit better across Frankie’s shoulders, and Zach thought that things might actually be perfect right now, or at least were on their way to getting there. He felt free, and he was glad for a second that Frankie had tweeted what he did so early this morning. It had changed everything, and even though his first night in New York hadn’t been as great as he’d hoped, his second night in New York made it all worth while.

**@ranceypants**  
 _#Zankie pic.twitter.com/rqsV9mtYDa_

**@FrankieJGrande**  
 _“@ranceypants #Zankie pic.twitter.com/1mdUR06D15” all is right in the world again. [happy blushing emoji]_

**frankiejgrande**  
 _Zach surprised me at the stage door tonight and it was the happiest I’ve been in a long while. #zankieaf [instagram photo]_

**Author's Note:**

> I appreciate any and all comments/kudos/critique you are willing to give me. Thanks for taking the time to read this!
> 
> If you want to chat, you can find me on tumblr at [ be-your-own-anchor5](http://www.be-your-own-anchor5.tumblr.com)


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